Quick Summary
- SEO helps your website show up higher in Google search results when people look for businesses like yours.
- AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) focuses on getting your content featured in voice search and instant answers.
- More customers are using voice assistants like Siri and Alexa to find local services.
- Combining SEO and AEO gives your business more visibility in Florida and beyond without relying only on ads.
- Creating clear, helpful content that answers common questions is the first step to ranking and winning trust.
What Is SEO?
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. In simple terms, it’s everything you do to help your website show up higher in Google’s search results.
When someone types “best Italian restaurant in Jacksonville,” Google looks for sites that seem relevant and trustworthy.
SEO includes:
- Using keywords your customers search for
- Writing helpful, clear content
- Getting links from other reputable sites
- Making sure your site loads fast on phones
What Is AEO?
AEO stands for Answer Engine Optimization.
It’s the newer side of search: showing up when people ask voice assistants (like Siri, Alexa, or Google Assistant) a question.
Instead of just listing websites, Google often pulls out a short answer and shows it right in the search results. That’s called a featured snippet or a zero-click result.
If you want your business to be the one answering those questions, you need AEO strategies.
Examples of SEO and AEO in Action
Here are a few Florida small business examples:
- A Jacksonville lawn care company optimized a page titled “How often should I water my Florida lawn?” and started ranking in a featured snippet. It brought in 300+ extra visitors a month—and leads without paying for ads.
- A St. Augustine wedding photographer added structured FAQs like “What’s the best month to get married in St. Augustine?” and landed in voice search answers.
- A Tampa pest control business used AEO by answering “How do I get rid of palmetto bugs?” and started appearing in Google’s Quick Answers box.
This is how small businesses can punch above their weight online.
Why It Matters for Your Business
Today, about 50% of all searches end without a click. People get the answer right in Google’s results.
If you’re not optimizing for those spots, you could be invisible; no matter how great your website is.
SEO helps you show up.
AEO helps you get picked as the answer.
How Effective Is SEO and AEO?
Here are some stats to put it in perspective:
- Businesses that blog regularly get 55% more website visitors.
- 46% of all Google searches have a local intent (like “near me”).
- Voice searches are growing fast—especially on mobile devices and smart speakers.
If you serve customers in Florida, showing up when someone says, “Hey Google, find a roofing company in Orlando,” can be the difference between getting that call or not.
How Do You Start?
Here are a few steps:
- Make a list of common questions your customers ask.
- Create simple, clear answers on your website.
- Add FAQs and use structured data markup (your web developer can help).
- Keep your content fresh and relevant.
- Make sure your site loads fast and works on mobile.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does SEO or AEO take to work?
SEO and AEO are long-term strategies. Most businesses start to see measurable improvements in 3 to 6 months, depending on competition and how much content you publish.
Do I need to hire an agency, or can I do it myself?
You can start on your own by creating helpful content and optimizing your website basics. However, working with professionals can speed up results and help you avoid mistakes.
Does AEO mean I don’t need SEO anymore?
No—AEO and SEO work best together. SEO helps your pages rank in search results, while AEO helps you win featured snippets and voice answers.
What are featured snippets?
Featured snippets are the short answers Google shows at the top of the search results page. They often appear above the regular links and can drive more traffic to your site.
How do I know what questions people are asking about my business?
Start by talking to your customers and writing down their common questions. You can also use tools like Google Search Console, AnswerThePublic, or SEMrush to find search queries related to your services.
Ready to put SEO and AEO to work for your business? Now is the time.
My Small Towns’ business listings are all SEO optimized, meaning they have built-in schema to increase your chances of showing up in top search results. Plus, the article that comes with your business listing membership is SEO and AEO optimized to attract readers who are searching for solutions to the exact problems your service can solve.
